


my name at the top of your list

by MakerOfAnarchy



Category: Glee RPF
Genre: M/M, nevermet!au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-09
Updated: 2013-05-09
Packaged: 2017-12-10 21:02:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/790133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MakerOfAnarchy/pseuds/MakerOfAnarchy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Darren loves hospitals. He finds his future in the joy of one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	my name at the top of your list

**Author's Note:**

> Written for CC AU Wed's on tumblr. Theme was hospital. Also posted there, where I'm under the same username. Title from Taylor Swift "The Last Time".

Darren loves hospitals.

Or, rather, he loves the Children’s section of the hospital.

He knows it’s a weird thing to say, a weird thing to enjoy – what, with the dying children and all, but it’s true, he loves being there.

Because, yeah, there are dying children, but most of them don’t even know that. They just know that they’re going to be there for an indefinite amount of time, and that they might as well make the most of it.

Darren thinks it’s amazing, that all the hope and joy and humanity can be contained into one, tiny room.

He doesn’t think there’s anything in this world that he enjoys more than being a part of it. Knowing that he’s making a difference, knowing that he’s responsible for a lot of those smiles for whatever amount of time he’s aloud is extraordinary. And that he’s doing it with only a guitar and his own self-impressed joy is what makes it all really spectacular because these kids are living even if a lot of them won’t make it out of that same room.

And perhaps there are better, more expected ways for him, a college sophomore to spend his time. It’s maybe a little weird that he surrounds himself with the sick children in the hospital of a town he doesn’t even live in, but he doesn’t care.

He’s going to try his damnedest to give these kids a little piece of the forever they’ll never have, and if he can do it with his voice and his old, battered guitar, he will.

And then he meets Chris and suddenly his own forever has smacked him in the face, throwing all of his plans to the wind, and he doesn’t regret a thing.

\---

“Hey guys!” Darren smiles as all the kid’s chorus back at him, some (the ones who can, he supposes) scrambling up and wrapping themselves around his legs. He makes sure his guitar is secure around his back before bending down, hugging them all and finally picking Jamie up, loving the way she giggles when he swings her a bit.

Jamie is missing her K9’s, but she smiles brightly at him anyways, kicking her feet around him. “Hi Dare!”

Darren hasn’t stopped smiling since he walked in the door, and it wasn’t going to change now. “Hello, Jamie-girl.”

“I drew you something! I hope you like it! But you can’t know what it is until you see it! But it’s a dinosaur! Wait…” Darren outright laughs at that one, pressing his cheek to her forehead as she considers where she went wrong.

“Well, how about I just pretend you never told me, alright? And I promise I’ll love it.”

She seems content with that for now, looking up at him with that toothless grin that somehow still manages to be toothy and bright. “Are you gonna play for us?” She bats her eyelashes like she doesn’t already know he’ll say yes, he always says yes.

“I don’t knooow,” Darren tickles her with his free arm then, peals of delighted laughter ringing from her as she tries to get away. He lets her down, only for her to drop herself at his feet and grab the nearest toy to her, staring up at him with adoring eyes.

He smiles back at her and it’s then that his eyes catch on a blond little girl in the corner. She has her face buried in a book, concentrated, but there’s something to the tilt of her head and bright, bright eyes that tell him she’s alone but not lonely.

“Hey, Jamie-girl,” He reaches out a hand to tap her shoulder, bending down to her level again. “Who’s that?”

“That’s Hannah,” Jamie responds, hardly interested, “she reads a lot. Boring.”

Darren frowns, “Hey now, books can be fun.”

Jamie gives him a no-nonsense look that has Darren stepping back, chuckling with his hands raised. “Okay, okay.”

The incredulous look doesn’t fade from her face but she soon goes back to her toy.

Darren ruffles her hair a bit before making his way over to Hannah. He knows that some kids like to be left alone while in the hospital, but Darren always makes an effort, no matter how introverted they may seem at first.

Maybe she just felt like reading a book that day. Just because she was in a chair and reading instead of playing with other kids didn’t mean anything.

“Hello, Hannah,” Darren says, smiling, but getting no real reaction. It takes a moment, but soon enough Hannah closes her book, finger tucked between the pages and gives him her attention.

Darren cannot believe that a ten year-old just made him wait until she finished the paragraph for her to look at him.

This girl is badass, and he likes her already.

“Yes?”

Darren didn’t think it was possible, but his grin just widens. “What’re you reading?”

“Scooby-Doo,” She says shortly, and Darren catches her finger twitching in the page like she’s itching to get back to her book, but has been taught better.

“Oh, that’s cool! Who’s your favorite character? Mine’s Velma.”

He watches her eyes slowly catch interest. “No. The best is Fred.”

Darren laughs, reaching out a finger to tap where she’s holding the book. “Are you just saying because you think he’s handsome?” He teases and she blushes, moving his hand away indignantly.

“No,” Hannah looks at him with a quirked eyebrow, daring him to contradict her.

“Okay, okay,” He says, conceding playfully, “Fred is pretty cool. The way he pieces everything together so quickly. But, you know, without Velma, he wouldn’t have half the pieces he did.”

He rings out the “did” to let her know he’s teasing and he is delighted to see a small smile.

“Whatever.”

She doesn’t pick up her book again, which he takes as a good sign.

“So, Hannah, would you like to come sing with me?”

“I can’t sing,” She frowns, picking at the chair.

“Oh, anyone can sing,” He says in turn, tapping her throat with his index finger. “You have a voice, don’t you? So sing!”

He stands up and stretches out a hand to her, which she pauses looking up at Darren with an evaluating expression. He seems to pass whatever test she’s running him through because she takes his hand and lets him lead her to the center of the room. He calls out for a circle, and the kids that can immediately rush over.

The sight of some of the able-bodied kids helping the ones who can’t get to the circle warms Darren’s heart. He begins to strum, asking Hannah what she wants him to sing and he can’t help his laughter when she demands the Scooby-Doo theme song.

\---

They’re halfway through the Dora theme song when in walks the most gorgeous person Darren has seen in a while.

He basically stops traffic, because as soon as Darren sees him, his fingers trip over the strings and he fumbles the words, though the kids hardly notice. He manages to pick back up, but his eyes don’t leave the boy as he beckons to Hannah, who shakes her head petulantly.

“Hannah, it’s time to go,” The boy comes closer, reaching out a hand for Hannah that she shies away from, into Darren’s side.

He laughs out, making the boy look at Darren. “Who’s this, Hannah?”

“This is Darren, he’s awesome.”

“I really am. I play this cool guitar, man. That’s gotta score me some points?” Darren winces as soon as it comes out of his mouth, because, wow douchey.

“Yeah, a million points,” He deadpans, hardly looking at Darren. “Hannah, tell Darren goodbye. Let’s go.”

“Chris,” Hannah whines, pouting. “One more song, please?”

“Please?” Darren can’t help the echo that slips out of his mouth, and he can only duck his head when Chris looks at him questioningly.

He’s somehow managed to keep strumming the guitar, the kids still singing loudly, though there are a couple that have dispersed into chaos.

“Come on, Chris, I’ll play whatever you want. Give me a request?”

Chris looks skeptical but he finally lowers his messenger bag, wrinkling his nose as he slips to the floor.

“Um, I’ll assume we’re sticking to children’s televisions shoes so…Power Rangers?” It’s obvious he doesn’t expect Darren to know it which is crazy because who never watched the Power Rangers?

Darren starts to strum, feeling a surge of pride as Chris starts to grin at Hannah, mouthing the words at her. She giggles and throws her arms around him, and Darren doesn’t think he’s seen anything more picturesque, Chris smiling like he has the sun and all the good in the world, right there in his arms.

Their eyes lock over the top of her head, and Darren winks at Chris, relishing in his blush.

\---

“Okay, Hannah, really, it’s time to go,” Darren has stopped playing, now putting his guitar back in its case. He immediately looks up because if Chris is leaving he has to do something, get his number.

There’s no guarantee he’ll be here tomorrow, or ever again.

“You’re leaving?” Darren turns around with a frown, slinging his guitar over his back as he says the words.

“Yeah, I have class in thirty minutes…” Chris trails off regretfully, or at least, Darren hopes it’s regret in his voice. “But this was…really fun.”

Darren nods, letting Hannah hug him. They turn around, and Darren stares at Chris’ back (most definitely not his ass, gosh), trying to work up the courage to say what he wanted to.

He is just about to say the words when Chris suddenly yanks himself around, startling Hannah. “Wait. Can I have your phone number?”

“Oh, man, of course,” Darren breathes out, already reaching into his pocket and handing his phone to Chris. Chris unlocks it, raising and eyebrow at no password, but not questioning it. Darren watches him send a text to his own phone before handing it back to Darren.

“So yeah, I’ll call you. Tonight. And maybe we can, go out?” Darren wonders how Chris can sound so unsure, like Darren would say anything less than yes.

“Absolutely,” He breathes again, running a hand through his hair nervously as Chris doesn’t make any move to leave. His eyes drop down to Darren’s lips and – Oh.

Chris steps forward, one hand cupping Darren’s jaw and kisses him.

It’s crazy, they’re standing in the middle of a hospital, and it’s probably heavily frowned upon, but Darren hardly cares. Because Chris has very soft lips and a very firm grip on his bicep, thumb stroking over the skin.

Chris pulls back, not very far and runs his fingers down Darren’s jaw gently. “I don’t know why, but I really wanted to do that.”

Darren tilts his chin toward the reverent touch, smiling. “I don’t know why, but I’m really glad you did.”

“Are you guys done?” Hannah is suddenly in between them, pushing them apart with a huff.

Their eyes meet over Chris’ shoulder as he’s pulled away, and Darren just mouths, “For now,” waving his fingers and beaming when Chris does.

\---

Their first date is at Coldstone and Darren orders the largest Peanut Butter Cup Perfection for them to share. Chris doesn’t say anything about it, so Darren assumes it’s okay when he grabs two spoons and beckons them over to a table. He slides his chair around to Chris’, maybe a little too close, but Chris just seems to be watching the whole thing with an amused expression.

“Ta-da!” Darren says when he finally slips into the chair, his thigh pressing against Chris’.

“You know, I usually really hate it when people touch me without permission,” Chris says, and Darren tenses, stopping in his quest to get his arm across the back of Chris’ chair.

Chris looks at him, blue eyes twinkling and, fuck, Darren is going to melt right on the spot. “If me kissing you wasn’t enough indication, you have full permission.”

Darren huffs out a laugh, sliding his arm fully around the chair, and hooking his ankle around Chris’.

And just like that, they’ve slipped into some effortless interaction. He’d felt it at the hospital, and he feels it now, and he wonders what it is, and why it doesn’t bother him. He hardly knows Chris, after all. There’s no way he should be feeling like this when they’ve barely sat down.

But Darren’s never been on to worry about details too much, content to let life take him where it does, giving to the good and ignoring the bad, and life has led him to Chris, which is turning out to be pretty amazing.

They talk. A lot. Maybe too much, for just a first date.

Chris has a lot of stories, some funny and some sad. He keeps Darren laughing, and Darren doesn’t think there’s anything he appreciates in a person more – the ability to have fun. They ask questions and share opinions and argue playfully when those opinions clash and it’s wonderful.

There are silences, but Darren relishes those just as much as the time spent talking, because Darren can admire everything about Chris (“Stop staring at me, Darren. I’m not going anywhere.”), from his hair to his shoulders to his hands. He has a scar on his neck (“Surgery, when I was younger. No big deal. Didn’t die.”) that Darren keeps running his fingers over, loving when Chris laughs out and shies away from it because it’s sensitive.

They eventually leave the ice cream shop, instead strolling down the sidewalk of the shopping center. They stop at a thrift shop, where Darren finds bracelets that he immediately grabs.

“You’re wearing this.”

He looks back to see Chris looking at him with a pensive expression, like he’s trying to figure Darren out. “Okay.”

Darren snaps it on Chris wrist as soon as he pays for it and then tugs Chris forward by the same wrist and kisses him hard.

“Can I see you again?” Chris asks it tentatively when Darren drops him off.

“After today, you can see me whenever you want, babe,” Chris laughs at that, getting out of the car and waving. Darren waves back, watching as Chris unlocks his door and walks into his house, only looking back once with a sweet smile.

Darren sighs contentedly, turning up the radio.


End file.
